Archive · 23 Sep 2026
IIT Bombay Student Death Sparks Caste Dispute and Probe
Sahil Ravindra Wakode was a 22-year-old student at IIT Bombay.
He was found dead in his hostel room on September 18.
His parents said he had faced caste-based harassment.
Police registered a case against a professor based on their complaint.
Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik said some politicians were giving the case a caste angle and said that was wrong.
The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating what happened.
IIT Bombay removed the professor from his dean position, but faculty members said he was not suspended from teaching.
Investigators said cameras showed Sahil being taken aside after he was allegedly caught using a phone during an exam.
The institute has also announced a new schedule for exams that were cancelled after his death.
Sahil Ravindra Wakode, 22, was found dead in his IIT Bombay hostel room on September 18.
His parents alleged caste-based harassment, prompting a police case against professor Suryanarayana Doolla under two laws.
Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik said some politicians were giving the death a caste angle while the investigation continued.
IIT Bombay removed Doolla as dean of Administrative Affairs, while faculty said he remained a teaching professor.
The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating, as CCTV reportedly showed Wakode being taken aside after allegedly using a phone during an exam and later walking to his hostel.
- Who
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, his parents, IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, institute officials, police, students and Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik.
- What
- Wakode’s death led to allegations of caste-based harassment, protests, legal action against a professor and a Crime Branch investigation.
- When
- Wakode was found dead on September 18; the minister’s comments and other developments were reported on September 22.
- Where
- Wakode’s hostel room on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Why
- His parents alleged caste-based harassment, while Sarnaik said some politicians were wrongly giving the case a caste angle.
Caste Harassment Allegation
Caste Angle Rejected
Interpretation of the death
Caste Harassment Allegation
Wakode’s parents alleged that he faced caste-based harassment and discrimination, leading to protests and a police case.
Caste Angle Rejected
Pratap Sarnaik said some political figures were giving the death a caste angle and called that inappropriate in education.
Institutional accountability
Caste Harassment Allegation
Students and political activists protested, and IIT Bombay removed Suryanarayana Doolla from his dean position after a case was registered against him.
Caste Angle Rejected
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Rajkumar Pant said Wakode had not recently approached the institute’s SC/ST cell with a complaint; faculty members also said Doolla had not been suspended from teaching.
Events before the death
Caste Harassment Allegation
The family’s allegations have kept possible harassment at the center of the investigation.
Caste Angle Rejected
Investigators said CCTV showed Wakode being taken aside after he was allegedly caught using a phone to access ChatGPT during an examination, then walking to his hostel room.
- Student
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, 22, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering
- Incident date
- September 18
- Location
- IIT Bombay’s Powai campus in Mumbai
- Family allegation
- Wakode’s parents alleged caste-based harassment and discrimination
- Legal action
- A case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
- Institutional action
- Suryanarayana Doolla was removed as dean of Administrative Affairs and reportedly sent on week-long leave
- Investigation and academics
- The case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch, while IIT Bombay issued a revised timetable for cancelled mid-semester examinations
